Her Protector
by Elament79
Summary: What if he doesn't want to protect me? What if I want him to be free? What if I want him to go home, to go back to his family? What if I don't want to oppress him, like my father has oppressed me?
1. A Slave?

**A new story that I got into my head yesterday and decided to write. It will end up being a chapter story, so it's not just going to stay as one chapter. For those of you waiting for the third chapter of "Something New", it's about 1/2 done. I know what I want to write, I just can't . . . quite . . . write it. For those of you waiting for "Separate Worlds", I have an outline with no determination to write it. The stupid thing requires a lot of research in order to be correct and flow-y. **

**Fairy Tail is Copyrighted to Hiro Mashima.**

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><p>The few times she had been outside the castle walls had been, in her mind, some of the most profound, the most meaningful. She had watched as the people, mere farmers, artisans, and merchants, walked through their lives without a care in the world. She watched (<em>boisterous<em>) men laugh with their friends, shake (_muddy_) hands with each other, drink, toast, and gamble. She had seen women titter amongst themselves, hands covering mouths before leaning close to whisper and ("O_h, did you see the way he looked at-", "Yes, you're right, I think they'll soon be-", "Dear, be careful, you wouldn't want to ruin that-", "It's just so nice to see you!"_) gossip about whatever they so chose.

All of it was natural. It came natural to them.

And Lucy, the only child of Layla (_she was dead, she was dead, she wasn't coming back_) and Jude Heartfilia, King and Queen of Fiore, would be lying if she said she was not crazy jealous of all that they had.

She vividly remembered the night of the New Year's celebration four years ago. The night was clear, the stars suspended in it shining so bright and pure it had taken her breath away. Layla – _Mom_ – had always loved the stars. A bonfire was blazing in the center of the town, a place that was visible to her eyes from a raised patio in the royal gardens. Lucy had left the party that was unfolding behind her. All the men were drunk, the ladies gossiping in the corner.

It wasn't like the peasants.

_They_ were celebrating in their own way. A string of dancers, both male and female, had grasped each other's hands and were swinging in a large circle around the fire. She could see their mouths, opened wide, and on the wind she could hear their laughter, their happiness. Every now and then children would dart through the area, running alongside dogs or meeting up with friends. No one cared about his or her appearance. They were one person, all united in spirit.

And the stars watched over them.

_What would it be like to be free like that? _

And then the noble was there. He had grabbed her arm none too gently and dragged her back towards her father. "_Why watch those barbaric mongrels? They're all just criminals, rebels, meaningless scum! They don't have anything of worth!" _

_You're wrong_. Lucy thought, but followed him anyway. _They have_ everything.

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><p>As the years had trekked on, she had begun to notice that the noble's opinion was one that many people agreed with. The monarchy that she would one day inherit was first made, hundreds of years ago, to aid the people. And now it had developed to control them.<p>

And she hated it. She hated the unfair trials, the greediness of the taxes and fees, the laws and rules put in place with only the minority in mind. Many nights Lucy would lie in bed and watch the stars, hoping that her mother was watching over her, watching over her people.

But change never happened.

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><p>She woke to the feel of the warmth of the sun on her cheek. The light was never too bright, nor too dark in the morning. It was perfectly controlled by the silk curtains so as to not blind the princess, but to also shed light into the spacious room. Lucy sat up and smiled wryly.<em> Even the light here is controlled. <em>

A soft knock landed three times on the oak bedroom door. Lucy slipped out of the queen-sized bed and slid into her soft slippers. Her nightgown fluttered around her hourglass figure as she walked across the intricately painted tiles to the door. The steel bolt was slid, and the door opened to reveal her three personal handmaidens.

"Oh. They're supposed to be back today, right?" The shortest of the three nodded, her blue curls bouncing lightly in response to the princess.

"Yes. Your father wants you to wear white." Lucy sighed and opened the door further, allowing the three inside before closing the door. "I'll go and grab a dress. I know you don't want to have help bathing, so we'll just fill the bath and leave you alone. We have plenty of time, so don't rush yourself Lucy." The blue haired girl said this as soft as she could while still being heard. No one could know that the four were so close. Friendship between servants and royals was strictly against castle rules.

"No. No, why don't you three go bathe before me?" The three gasped. "I know you guys don't get to properly bathe in the servants quarters. Don't even try to lie to me!" Lucy chuckled at their expressions. "Now be quick. Cana, can you help me pick a dress while they bathe?" The brunette jumped at her question. Juvia, the other blunette, spoke up, ringing her hands in anxiety.

"Lucy . . . Juvia doesn't think we should be doing this . . . if we get caught-"

"We won't be caught if you guys are quick about it! Go! Get started! I bathed last night, anyway, if I don't get to go today, the world won't end!" With a laugh that was freer than the twisted light in her room, Lucy grabbed Cana's hands and flew out the door, feet hardly making a sound. Cana just smiled and went with her.

What else could she have done?

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><p>The white dress was ankle length and appropriately light for the summer. It had a woven pattern across the shoulders and arms, but the bodice and shirt were pure white cloth. Thankfully it was thick enough to not be seen through. Juvia tied the corset and laces in the back, trying to be careful not to asphyxiate one of her closest friends.<p>

After a near death experience with the corset, Lucy's hair was combed straight. The hair that framed her face was left alone, but the rest of it was curled and then pinned one clump at a time into a messy yet beautiful bun at the back of her head. A ruby encrusted ornament was draped around the bun and then secured with pins.

"You look so beautiful, Lucy!" The three gushed, and said girl blushed.

"Aw, thank you guys! And thank you for all the work you've done. I seriously couldn't do anything without you guys." The four shared a quick hug and the town bell chimed ten times. Pigeons with dark gray wings flew away from the tower, and the crows in the trees cawed their laughter.

The four pulled away from each other.

"Do you think . . . do you think they actually managed to do it?" Levy asked. Lucy frowned and looked away.

"I hope not. I wouldn't want to look like this for a funeral, but I know Father was treating the whole thing more like a marriage than anything." Lucy shook her head and looked out the window. "I'm afraid for what they're going to bring back."

The handmaidens exchanged glances.

"We . . . we have to escort you to the front hall, Lucy." It was Cana who spoke, but it was Juvia who grasped the princess's hand in her own.

"Yeah." The princess sighed and stepped forward, knowing the three would be following behind, not allowed to walk beside her. They made their way down the hallway, which was filled with paintings of old monarchs and statues, and into the grand hall, where the staircase coated with red velvet ascended to the portrait of Layla Heartfilia.

It was time.

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><p>Six months ago, King Jude of Fiore had made a daring decision. His proclamation was so unexpected and sudden that there was little time for the people of the country to debate or even think about the whole operation. It was purely the decision of the monarchy.<p>

The King's decision was that an army of one hundred men, all mages of different professions, was to be sent into the Uncharted Forest. The Forest was something that few people knew anything about. It was well avoided, and for good reason.

It was the home of the Dragons.

For centuries, the Dragons had plagued the kingdom, stealing gold, valuables, and killing people. They had burnt farmland, flooded towns, sent hurricanes and storms so violent that there was hardly anything left in the end.

The aim of the crusade was the chart the Uncharted Forest, and search for things like gold and silver that could be sold or used for bargaining with other countries. It would improve the economy of the country.

But more than that, the King wanted to find a Dragon. He sent mages, trained in the use of Rune magic, to find and kill a Dragon. They were instructed to take notes on their battle tendencies, behaviors, and magical power. And they were to bring back scales, teeth, horns, blood samples, anything and everything that could be used for some useful purpose.

And Lucy hated it.

She didn't hate the idea of charting the Forest, no, those maps could bring the knowledge of resources to the people and improve their lives.

It was the Dragon killing part that she despised. In the entirety of her life, Lucy had never once seen a Dragon or the effect of their anger and power. They had simply never attack her country during her lifetime.

But her Father was convinced that this trip would yield important discoveries about their nature, something that would eventually allow him to destroy the race. When Lucy had heard of his plan, she had frozen. There was nothing she could say to change his mind, nothing that would have any affect on him. So she had wordlessly nodded, curtsied, and asked to be excused. When she had arrived back in her room, she told her friends, Cana, Juvia, and Levy about his plan. The four had remained in her room for the rest of the day, shocked at the announcement.

And now she stood beside her Father, head held high and eyes staring at the Captain of the army that had just returned from the Uncharted Forest. They had rested for one day at a lodging on the edge of the woods, but now they were here, all of them (except for the twelve men who had died) kneeling before the King. Only the Captain remained standing.

The Square that she, her Father, and the crowd of peasants were at was the main public announcement point in the city. The four roads that connected it led to the different sections of the city. The largest road (and the only one that had cobblestones along the entire path) led north to the palace. South and opposite of this one was the countryside, where the majority of the people lived and where the farmers worked. This was also the route to the Uncharted Forest. East was the coastline where all overseas trade happened, as well as where the countries ports and fishing vessels resided. West led deeper into the city, where more roads dwindled from the main one, and the majority of the merchant's shops, bars, and restaurants were located.

The Square itself was very simply decorated. There were several shops around the Square, all of them taverns except for the one inn, and whenever there was an announcement to be made the shop owners would bring tables out, often times covered with food and wine to sell. Grass grew along the edges of the four roads, and the circle that made the Square was sometimes used to graze livestock. It was large enough to fit the entire army of one hundred (minus twelve) Dragon hunters. Lucy and King Jude stood towards the back of the Square, all guards and servants spanning themselves beside and behind them.

"Your Majesty!" The Captain cried, and bowed deeply, "I am honored to be here to show to you and your lovely, beautiful, gorgeous and attractive daughter the amazing thing we found on our journey! We have the maps you requested of course, and I will be thrilled to show them to you! Soldier! Bring the maps forward! And _Lucy-chan_! I must speak to you, for we have brought a present for you!" The Captain clasped his hands together; his voice adoring and shrill to the ears of both father and daughter. Hearts danced around in his eyes.

King Jude nodded at the maps as they were brought before him.

"And have you brought any remains of a Dragon, as was the mission?" Her father's voice was cold and distant.

"Uh, not really. But-HEY! WAIT! I'M NOT DONE!" The people in the square groaned and began to talk amongst themselves. They were sectioned off from Lucy and the King by a row of guards. Lucy didn't like the separation between classes. King Jude narrowed his eyes at the enthusiastic redheaded Captain.

"So you have not managed to kill a Dragon? Or even find one for that matter?" Lucy shivered away from the King, but smiled sweetly (although falsely) at the Captain who became mush at the young woman's smile.

"_LUCY-CHAN_! YOU'RE SO BEAUTIFUL, AND I THINK . . ." He trailed off, dancing around the Square, brandishing his sword and shield and complimenting the Princess. Lucy tuned him out and looked over to Levy, who was standing just slightly behind her.

"Maybe they didn't manage to kill any of them . . ." Levy whispered into Lucy's ear. Lucy nodded hopefully.

"_CAPTAIN!_ _What do you know of the Dragons?"_ The King snarled at the man, who froze and then jumped to be directly before him, eyes sparkling once again.

"We did not manage to find a Dragon." Once again, the crowd sighed loudly. "BUT WE DID CATCH SOMETHING LIKE ONE!" The crowd stopped their mumblings, and looked, astonished towards the Captain. "Lucy-chan! I have brought for you a present that I can only hope will be of the utmost service to you in the future! He is like a Dragon, but is not something so ferocious!" The young woman yelped when he grabbed her hand in two of his and kissed her knuckles.

"And what have you brought her? A Salamander?" The King degraded. Soldiers snorted and the crowd laughed freely along with the sarcasm.

"No! He is something more powerful than that!" The Captain was not deterred. Lucy looked at her best friends, horror clear on her face. He brought her something like a Dragon? _What?!_

"GUARDS! Bring forth the runes!" The Captain leaped away from Lucy and dashed towards the large, black, box-shaped rune container that was propelled forward by three of the soldiers. "I will warn you now, ladies (including my beautiful Lucy-chan!) and children, that he is a beast in his appearance. We found him sleeping in a cave some twenty miles into our journey." The man spread his feet apart and leaned forward, fingers moving erratically in an attempt to make the story seem more dramatic. "It was a gruesome fight, man versus beast . . . BUT IN THE END WE PULLED THROUGH!" He snapped his feet together and threw his head and hands into the air, a way of showing victory.

Lucy listened to his tale of victory and battle, getting more and more worried for the health of the animal he had promised as a gift. She peered over at Levy, eyes wide and confused, and Levy looked back at her with the same expression.

"What could it be?" She whispered as silently as possible. A heavy hand came down on Lucy's shoulder and she quickly looked to the front, knowing her father had heard her questioning the maid. She refused to make eye contact with him.

"And I cried, 'HALT YOU BEAST!', and threw my lance, which pierced him in the wing! And we all converged on the monster, the thing that had spewed fire so hot and deadly at us only moments before. And we _wrenched_ his wings down, and _tied_ his legs together, and _caught_ him in these runes that you see now! And he roared, loud and true, and we caged him and drained him of his magic!"

The tale was met with cries of excitement from the crowd, who were cheering on the Captain. These cries worked to inflate his ego even more than it already was.

Lucy recoiled from the brutal man and his weapons, and her father's hand began to dig even harder into her shoulder. Levy stepped closer to her friend, but was pushed back by one of the guards.

"And Lucy-chan, I now present to you, a _BEAST!_, who, while he is not quite Dragon, is also not quite human!" The crowd hushed, in awe of the proclamation, and looked around at anyone they could make eye contact with.

_How could that even be possible? _

The guards stepped to the side, and one of them rewrote the runes, changing the color of the box from black to clear, allowing everyone to see inside.

The women screamed, hands covering their mouths, and grabbed their children, pulling them away from the monster inside. The men pulled their wives away, and snarled menacingly at the beast within. The King gasped and let go of his daughter's shoulder, and the guards jumped in front of their employer. Lucy darted before her own personal guards and ran down to kneel only inches before the monster who was still entrapped.

The Captain gleamed at the princess and knelt beside her, holding one of her hands.

"Oh, Lucy-chan, I am so pleased that you like this gift I have for you! He is a half-breed, part human and part Dragon, and I am sure that he will one day be instrumental in the fight against the Dragon race! As you know, I would he happy . . ." Lucy tuned him out once again as his speech rattled on.

It was a boy, no more than seventeen, with the wings, talons, horns, and tail of a Dragon with the body of a human. He was lying face down on the floor of the cage, cheek rested on the ground, and arms wrapped loosely around his head so she could not see his face. His legs and wrists were tied together, and there was a ratty old blanket thrown over his legs and a portion of his back. The wings that protruded from his shoulder blades, powerful and built, had been curled awkwardly against his back, not having enough room to span out inside his cage. They were webbed with rectangular scales, and the color ranged from a pale pink (like the color of his hair) on the thinnest part of the webbing to a dark red on the bones. There was an enormous hole in the skin on his left wing. Lucy looked at it blandly. There was blood caked around the hole, and she felt the urge to vomit. He wouldn't be able to fly for a long time, possibly never again.

The tail had the same coloring as the wings from what she could tell, getting gradually lighter the closer to the tip of the tail. She couldn't see where the tail ended due to the blanket. His horns were a dark gray color and curled towards the back of his head. They looked like they were more for show that for actual fighting.

His talons on his hands and feet looked as though they had been filed down, most likely by the Captain and his men. No wild animal would purposefully file his or her nails that short. Scales crossed the skin where his Dragon features stemmed from his human body.

It was clear that he had fought against the mages. There was blood on his wings, on his back, on his arms. Gashes and scrapes were littered across his body, some worse than others. Lucy could tell several of them were infected.

Tears welled in her eyes, and Lucy blinked them away. This boy was going to be a _present_ to her. She couldn't show anger, no matter how unfair this was.

". . . and one of the best things is that we found a spell that ties him to you as a servant!" Lucy snapped her head over to the Captain, who was still gleefully holding her hand. He blushed at her intense gaze on him.

"W-what? What did you do to him?" She croaked out.

"We placed him under a spell! The spell basically forces him to submit to you. Therefore, he can't harm you! Anything you want him to do, he has to do it. If someone tries to attack you, he will have no choice but to fight to save you. As long as you live, so shall he. He will be slave to your ever desire! Isn't that cool?!" The Captain sparkled at her, but Lucy looked back at her 'pet' and touched the runes with her free hand.

_He isn't here by choice. He's injured. He was once a free being. I hadn't even known that this was what they were going to do with him. What if he doesn't want to protect me? What if I want him to be free? What if I want him to go home, to go back to his family? What if I don't want to oppress him, like my father has oppressed me?_

King Jude spoke up on behalf of his silent daughter. "I think it is a wonderful present, Captain. We will talk more about the safety of this beast in my quarters in a moment. Thank him Lucy, you have not done so yet." Lucy nodded, but didn't look at the Captain.

"Thank you, Sir, for this . . . wonderful present." She turned her head away from him so he could not see the silent tears forming in her eyes.

_ A slave? _


	2. Finalized

The Dragon, the soldiers, and the Captain went ahead of the procession. The cage was left unprotected from all sides and the mages did nothing to hide the Dragon - instead, he was paraded down the streets openly so all could see. The eyes of the peasants, angered yet fearful, watched the unveiled monster as he went by.

The looks at both Dragon and royalty worried Lucy. They weren't happy with the King, hadn't been in a while, and no one seemed to want to do anything about it. It was almost like there was an unspoken code between officials, one that said _"Hey, so there's this major problem where the peasants don't like us, but if we ignore it, it'll go away!" _But now there was a new threat to the poor, one that could quite possibly destroy whole cities if he so desired. This would be a controversial topic for a long time to come. And the news was made _public_. This brought a slew of things that could go wrong.

Neighboring countries would be on high alert, thinking of the Dragon as a potential threat to their homes. Of course, the best defense for them would be to get a Dragon of their own, and that meant more excavating of the Uncharted Forest, which put even more Dragons in danger. Lucy frowned and wrung her hands, attempting to remain somewhat professional through her fear.

_Why did they have to do this, why why why why . . ? _

He would be treated badly, she knew he would be. The nobles, who saw him as a weakling to mock and blame for past destruction, already ridiculed him. The peasants, who saw him as a threat and a tool, would most likely try to kill him.

_He doesn't belong here, he doesn't belong here . . ._

Lucy and her father were slightly behind the Dragon and the soldiers. They rode on horseback, along with several other higher ranking officials and nobles. Everyone else was on foot. Lucy's three handmaids, Juvia, Levy, and Cana (who must have snuck some booze at some point, she was a little off kilter) stood all around her. Levy was at the horse's bridle, diligently leading the animal (it was considered unfashionable to give a lady reign of her own horse in certain circumstances), and the other two stood to either side of the princess.

Lucy had a perfect view of the Dragon from where she sat. He hadn't moved since she had first seen him, but she could tell that the jostling of the cage had not been good for him. There was more blood than there had been moments before, and his skin seemed just a tad bit paler.

Lucy looked away from the boy, hoping to avoid being sick. She felt a nudge on her right calf, a gesture from Juvia that she understood Lucy was upset.

Up ahead, perhaps only thirty yards or so was a meadow that rose up to a hill. When she was younger, maybe five or six, she and her mother had often walked up and down this very road at midday. They had one guard, an elderly knight, whom Layla had adored. The knight was never armed, confident in the people's love for the Queen and princess that he wouldn't need to be forceful with them. Lucy remembered that it had been early spring, and the snapdragons were blooming all along the edge of the road. They were a multitude of colors, ranging from deep purple to a pale yellow, and Lucy had loved them with the deepest part of her heart. The presence of her mother had only made the short outings even more special to her.

Lucy peered down at the side of the road where the flowers had been when she was younger. In the place of the snapdragons stood dahlias, sunflowers, cosmos, irises, and marigolds. Summer flowers.

Lucy sighed. Although the flowers were gorgeous, they couldn't beat the memories she had of the snapdragons in the spring.

The procession rounded the last corner, and there before them stood the castle. It wasn't the largest castle in the world, but it certainly was enormous compared to the homes and businesses of the peasants. It was made of marble and granite. The walkway was cobblestone, of course, and there was a tiger fountain centered before the castle. The tiger's head was bowed towards whoever was entering the courtyard, a noble greeting.

The windows of the palace were grand and tall, the double doors massive and plated with gold and silver. There were multiple balconies on the building, and three towers, one of which could not be seen from the front. Ten gargoyles rested, ever watchful, along the top of the roof. One could not see their ugliness from the front courtyard. A gentle river wove its way around behind the castle. Lucy knew that it ran through the royal gardens and into a lake. Trees, all meticulously trimmed and upheld for image, shadowed the lake. In the summer the men would go fishing there, and sometimes even swim.

Levy pulled back lightly on the bridle of Lucy's horse, and she stopped. The King stopped next to her. He waved his hand at two of his guards and then dismounted. Stable boys came running out of the barn and took the horses from them. All the soldiers under Captain Straight (apparently this was his name) bowed to the King, and then stepped back. They would leave once the King and his daughter were inside.

Lucy dismounted from her horse and Levy handed the mare off to a stable boy. He stared at Lucy, mesmerized as he took the horse. Lucy smiled at him, and he smiled shyly back. She leaned around the horse towards him and the boy's blush grew.

"There's a locked, metal chest in the grain shed. If you get the stool and look up in the rafters directly above it, you'll find the key to it. Open it up. Inside are three sacks, apples, carrots, and the third has some sort of horse treats. I'll get the chefs to fill them up later on today. Go ahead and take them. You boys deserve a treat for everything you've done." Lucy whispered to him. She quickly looked around to make sure no one could hear them. "After dinner, take all the boys to the river. If you go behind the watermill, you can't be seen from the castle." The boy's eyes grew wide and he opened his mouth to protest. Lucy waved a hand at him, eyes laughing. "I won't tell if you won't."

He blushed once more, and then nodded.

"Thank you, your highness." He bowed and trotted off with the horse, arm waving to get the attention of his fellow peers. The boys gathered around each other, some with horses and some without. The one Lucy had spoken to began to chatter excitedly with the others. She could see their eyes light up at the news. Apples were difficult to come by, especially since the King owned all the orchards in the country.

Lucy looked to Levy, who nodded. She had heard the whole thing.

Lucy stepped to a circle that consisted of her father, Captain Straight, two Royal Guards and two soldiers. They all nodded to her (except her father) and got in line to lead her up to the conference room. The two soldiers (apparently they were also mages) once more used their runes to lift the Dragon and his cage and bring him into the castle.

The walk to the conference room was silent. The Captain seemed to be mulling over what he was going to say to the King, and the King seemed to be scrutinizing the princess. Lucy stared straight ahead.

The doors opened to her father's private study, and the two Royal Guards took their places on either side of the door. They were left to wait outside the room.

The soldiers squeezed the Dragon into the room. His cage was slightly too large to fit through the door, so they had to make it smaller. He let out an agonized groan, and Lucy turned her head away, hoping that no one noticed the anger and sorrow on her face.

Once the cage was through, the soldiers let it extend back to its original size. There was no moan this time.

Lucy took a moment to investigate the room she was in, hoping to forget (if only for a moment) why she was there. Bookshelves lined three of the four sides to the room, only sometimes interspersed with windows or doors to other rooms. A desk was located in the back of the room facing whoever entered. It reminded her of a prison, a room set up for interrogating a suspect. Although that rarely happened anymore; now it was more like spontaneous arrests and imprisonments.

The King gestured to the desk, and Captain Straight and Lucy sat. He failed to pull her chair out for her, and Lucy was relieved. There could be no accidental touch if he didn't move her chair for her.

The King sat opposite them and eyed the two mages who stood in the middle of the room with the Dragon.

"Captain Straight." He started. The Captain sat up a little straighter in his chair. "You tell me that you have placed this monster," at this he gestured to the Dragon, "under a spell that would tie him to my daughter. Explain this to me." The Captain smiled easily at this.

"As I have told your daughter, it is a spell that forces him to become her protector. Not like a physical bond, as in he can't get too far away from her, but an emotional one. If the princess is afraid, he will be compelled to protect her by destroying whatever it is she fears. If she wants something, all she has to do is give the command. If he dares to try to attack her, not only will he be forced to stop what is causing her fear, which is himself, but he will feel the pain that he caused three times as strong! He will become her servant. And with his power, fire magic, he will be even more useful. There are not many mages in our kingdom, as you know, and if someone dared to try to hurt the Princess, he would have a distinct advantage knowing magic. He is not a fool, I will tell you that your Majesty. You would not need to hire multiple guards if the Princess were to leave the castle, or the town, or the country, to protect her. He is quite capable.

The only thing we must do now is to complete the spell. It is only a one-way spell. This way, she is in control of him. If it were two-way, the Princess would have to obey his command as well as force him to obey hers." The Captain nodded his head and waited for the King to speak.

"You can guarantee that he will protect my daughter?" Lucy rolled her eyes internally at this. The Captain nodded.

"And if it does not work, if I decide I no longer want to have this Dragon in my home? Can we nullify it?" Once again the Captain nodded.

"It is only permanent as long as the spell is in tact. In order to destroy it, the caster, and only the caster, would have to undo the spell."

"I see."

The King nodded solemnly and leaned back in his seat. He eyed the enthusiastic redhead and the tense young woman who looked so much like his late wife. Lucy peeked over her shoulder at the Dragon in the cage. He still hadn't moved. Looking closer, Lucy noticed his skin was even paler. He couldn't have lost more blood, right? Or was she just hallucinating? Anger burnt in her heart. _Cruel, sadistic, inhumane . . ._

"Lucy." She looked up at her father, anger burning brightly in her eyes. "What do you think of this arrangement?" Her glare darkened.

"This is not something Mama would do."

The sudden chill in the air was tangible, coating the people present and leaving the Captain scratching his head in bewilderment.

"Huh . . . wonder where that came from."

The King perfectly understood what she was saying. _"This is not something Mama would do."_ Layla wouldn't want him to be a slave. She'd want him to be free, to go back home. She'd make sure that he was fed, that he healed, that he was taken care of until he was set free. This would have been a given to her.

But she wasn't there to say these things to the man she had once loved with all her heart. Only her child, her successor, was there to make amends.

Neither princess nor King let their stare waver as they glared at each other.

"Is this your final decision?" He asked, eyes narrowing once more. Lucy nodded silently. There was no need for words when he could understand her perfectly.

"Very well then." The King finally relented and stood to face the windows that overlooked the royal garden. "If that is your decision. Straight, I'm sure you will be quite capable in executing my next decision, as you have proven to be." The man jumped out of his seat, looking far too excited. Lucy stood as well. Her left shoulder almost touched his. The King continued.

"The laboratory east of this castle is known for their high-class medical professors and mages. I'm sure they would love to have this specimen to examine."

"Wait-" Lucy interrupted. _Of course, of course he wouldn't have let me win that easily._ Her hand came forward to reach for her father.

"Bring him to the lab and keep him locked up."

"Stop-" _The best thing that they could do there is KILL him._

"I will pay you for-"

"STOP! Stop! Ok! I'll take him!" Lucy screamed. Her hands clenched at her sides, fisting the white of her dress. Her eyes lowered to the ground and she let out a quiet sob. "I'll take him." She could envision the cruel smile on her father's face, but she wouldn't face him.

_He can't go there, he can't go there . . . _

"Good decision." It was almost not heard, but it was there. Lucy turned her head away from her father, eyes closed. She could not bear to look at the man who was intent on flipping her life upside down. Her father continued on, ignoring her.

"There are many things we must discuss about this beast. Does he know our language? How strong is he? Can he shift his shape into that of a Dragon? Where will he sleep? How long will it take for him to accept his role?" The King stopped and looked at the Captain. "Call in one of the guards." The Captain signaled one his men who opened the door and gestured one of the guards in.

"Yes, your Highness?" The guard bowed low and then stood straight once more.

"Tell the servants that I want half of Princess Lucy's balcony to be set up as the Dragon's home. There is an overhang on part of it. I want several blankets out there for him to sleep on. I also want a chain to be set up. He'll stay there at night, and there is no way that I want him able to get near my daughter." The King turned to a stunned Lucy. "You have seen the anger of peasants. If any of them try to attack you, especially if they can use magic, then there is a very good chance that they will come through the balcony. I want him there to stop them." The King turned to the Captain. "Set up runes on the balcony as well. At night I want him unable to get into her room to hurt her."

"And what if they manage to get past him and into my room?" Lucy spoke up sarcastically. Her father quieted.

"True. I will think on setting up runes. But the chain will still be set up. I understand he is powerful enough to break that if needed." The King nodded to the guard, and the guard bowed back.

"As you wish, your highness." And he left. The King looked back out the window.

"Set up the spell as I think." The Captain stepped forward and gently grasped Lucy's arm. He led her to the side of the Dragon, and Lucy dropped to the ground beside him.

"The Princess's personal guards shall be transferred to the night guard." The King stepped towards his desk and pulled out a piece of paper. He began to write. "He will be taught our language so he can better serve my daughter. He must be clothed properly, and the clothes must be tailored to fit his features. A healer will come to see him to make sure he is in good health." Lucy glared at the cage for that. Couldn't he see he already wasn't in good health? "He will be taught basic combat and learn to control his magic." The list went on and on with things that the Dragon would need in "order to serve the princess."

Lucy turned to the three men standing before her. They were watching the King, but as soon they realized she was watching them they began to prepare for the spell. One of the soldiers wrote runes against the cage.

"What are you doing?" Lucy questioned. He finished writing the runes and then answered her.

"I am removing the barrier, but making sure that he remains unconscious for the spell." Lucy nodded and watched as the runes of the cage began to dissolve. In seconds it was gone completely.

Lucy shuffled closer to him and reached out. Her hand touched the lukewarm scales on his right forearm. She felt the tight muscles in his arm contract and then relax. The tenseness in his shoulders loosened by a minuscule amount and his breathing came slightly easier. She moved her hand across his scales to the human skin on his elbow. It was soft and smooth. Once more her hand moved, and she began to stroke his hair, a light pink that was much softer than she anticipated.

This time she could visibly see his shoulders and back relax. The crease in his brow dropped off his face slowly, leaving him looking much more peaceful than he had been moments before. Lucy smiled softly at the boyish look on his face.

_ I'm sorry . . . _

A pen clattered to the desktop, and a bell was wrung for a maid. Lucy continued to pet the boys head, ignoring the scoff her father sent her.

"You may begin the spell when you are ready." Her father stated.

One of the mages stepped forward, and he knelt down beside human and Dragon.

"Are you ready, Princess?" She looked into his dark blue eyes. He seemed kinder than she had first anticipated.

"Yes." He nodded to her, and then leaned back, out of her peripheral but still very close. His voice began to chant, but Lucy only focused on her Dragon. The magic began to glow bright gold in the air. It enveloped her body, penetrating through her clothes to rest on her skin. Lucy closed her eyes, and she felt the magic dust her eyelids. It coated her lips thickly, forcing her to open her mouth. It poured down her throat and into her heart. It tingled in her chest and the _lub-dub lub-dub_ was so loud it was pounding in her ears. She wondered if the others in the room could hear it. She was sure her Dragon could.

There was a gasp in the room and Lucy opened her eyes. The magic around them was still glowing gold, but wherever it touched her skin, it turned a light pink. It looked very similar to the color of the Dragon's hair. On him, it did the same thing, only instead of the magic turning pink, it turned bright red. The magic was sticking to his back, trailing across his face and forcing its way down his throat. She hear another _lub-dub lub-dub_, slightly slower than her own, and she immediately knew it was his.

Lucy's eyes found a gash trailing from shoulder to bicep. It was one of the infected ones, she could tell. Her hand traced over the wound and the Dragon let out a soft noise. It wasn't pained.

The magic was beginning to drain from their bodies, and Lucy quickly pressed her hand to the injury. Most of the magic had settled on their skin, but what had stuck on her right hand drained down to his shoulder. It poured off her hand and began to settle along the tear in his skin. The blood on his shoulder began to disappear, and the skin began to scab over.

Lucy's eyes widened. Was she . . . healing him? The scab, over five inches long, began to disappear. The red glow on his own skin covered the wound, until finally it disappeared, only to leave a scar, hardly even visible, in its place.

Lucy pulled her hand away.

It was like nothing had happened. The boy still hadn't moved. He was still covered in blood, cuts, bruises and scrapes, and she was still kneeling before a Dragon, dressed the same, feeling the same, and in the company of two mages, a Captain, and the King.

"What happened?" The King asked. "What happened Lucy?" She looked over her shoulder. _Did he seriously not see that?_

Not getting an answer, the King turned to the other three. "Did something go wrong?"

"No." The mage with blue eyes answered. "Everything went fine. The color change that we all saw is normal. It shows how the two will work together." He turned to look at the King. "I think this transition will be go smoothly." He smiled.

The King nodded and crossed his arms. "Good. But did something happen when she leaned forward?" Lucy froze. So he had seen her heal him?

"No."

_What?_

"She touched a scar on his shoulder. I think she might have been wondering what it was from?" The mage turned back to her.

Oh. _Oh_.** Oh**. He was covering for her. He had seen what she had done.

But the others hadn't. They couldn't have, because the runes mage was practically kneeling over both her and the Dragon. They couldn't have seen through him. He was pretending that he hadn't seen what had happened, and was protecting her and the Dragon from whatever problem could have been caused because of this.

"Y-yes." Lucy stuttered. She cleared her throat. "Yes, I was looking at this scar," she pointed to the one she had just created, "because I didn't know what it was. It looked like a spider." That was lame. But now that she looked at it . . . it kind of did look like a spider. It would make a huge spider, that was for sure, but it had all these little spindles that extended out from it.

The King stared at his daughter long and hard, before finally letting it go.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in." It opened to reveal the guard that had been sent off earlier.

"We have completed your wishes, your highness." The King grabbed the list he had made and handed it to the guard.

"Bring this to the servants. Have them split the duties amongst themselves. I want someone to train him in both combat and language. I don't care if it has to be two different people, I just need someone capable. Send the tailor to get whatever measurements he needs, and several maids to help clean him up. I refuse to send him into my daughter's room looking like this." The guard bowed once more, and then took his leave.

"You may leave, Lucy. We have many things to do to prepare him for you, and we can't have you here while we do it."

Lucy stood stiffly then curtsied to her father.

"Thank you, Father. " She turned without looking at him, and marched out of the conference room.

Nothing would ever be the same again.


	3. Comfort

**I'm pretty happy with this chapter. I wrote it in maybe in two hours. And I think it makes sense, and I think it's going in the direction I want it to. **

**PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS! The more I hear from you guys, the more it helps me to shape my writing and the story itself. iamthewerepire and Tsukihimesama95, thank you so much for your reviews! It means so much to me! **

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><p>Lucy walked back to her room, not flanked by soldiers, servants, or nobles. She took her time to examine the artistic paintings and sculptures that lined the hallways of the castle. There were many from hundreds of years ago, and you could see the technological advancement and technique change from piece to piece. It was a good distraction from what had just happened, but she couldn't completely forget it.<p>

Lucy trailed the fingers on her left hand over the back of her right hand. Most of the magic that had seeped onto the Dragon's skin had come from there. Where she touched tingled slightly and she brought her hand up so she could see.

Imprinted on the back of her right hand, hardly even there, was a mess of pale white squiggly lines. Lucy squinted closer to get a better look. Some lines were more faded than the others, but some she could see very clearly. There were several lines that seemed to splay out from a center symbol, but she couldn't tell what it was.

Lucy gasped and snapped her hand back down to her side, heart pounding. _No way. Could it be . . ?_

Lucy steadied her breathing and continued on, forcing herself to look at the paintings and sculptures in the corridor.

At one part of the hallway right beside a spare bedroom sat the sculpture of a man. Well, Lucy thought it was a man. He had the most hideous beard and mustache imaginable. It was gnarled and ratty, protruding almost straight off of his face. His name was Caillou Angus von Remmington XIV. It was a wonder why anyone would want fourteen Caillou Angus von Remmingtons, but there could be worse names.

Apparently he was a nobleman around the time of the Great Wave, an ocean attack from a Water Dragon. Lucy thought the whole history surrounding the event was ridiculous. The only Dragon attack before that one was eighteen years prior. There hadn't even been any fishing or sailing ships created at that point.

So why would a Dragon attack, for no apparent reason, so violently? Lucy had always assumed that there was something hushed about the Great Wave.

She walked by the unusual statue and to her room. It was on the opposite end of the building, but the silent unaccompanied walk was relieving . . . even though it gave her more time to replay in her mind what had just happened.

Lucy pushed her bedroom door open. Her bedroom looked just as it always had, except she had closed the balcony doors that morning and they were now partly open. She pushed the glass fully to the side and stepped out.

The balcony was her own little personal space: no one else could see onto it from above or below. On her right was solid wall that created part of the castle, and on her left were several angled windows that revealed the massive library she owned. There was hardly ever anyone in there, and it wasn't like anyone could see her looking in anyway. The library extended two floors, and if someone were to look up through the windows they would see part of the sky and part of the castle. But they wouldn't see her.

Lucy sat down on the blankets that had been placed on the ground for the Dragon. She could clearly feel the hard stone of the balcony through the fabric. It radiated cold air on her skin.

Lucy stood once more and grabbed the chain that had been attached to the side of the castle wall. She yanked hard on it, but didn't manage to do anything. She noticed the symbols and words on the side of it. She didn't need a second glance to know that these were magic-canceling chains.

A breeze that wasn't so summery blew through the air and chilled her. Lucy stepped back into her room and closed the doors to the balcony to keep the wind out.

She made her way to the bed and collapsed on top of it. A hand rung one of the bells beside her bed, and only moments later Levy came bursting in.

"Lu-chan! What happened? Are they going through with the plan?" Nothing needed to be said. Lucy curled into a ball on her bed and stared at the wall. There was nothing she could do about it. "Oh, Lu-chan . . ." Levy trailed off and stepped up to her friend. Her hands made quick work of the hairpins and bodice of the dress. Lucy stood and allowed Levy to take off the top layer of the dress, leaving her in several layers of shapeless white cloth. As soon as it was off she curled back up on her bed. "Get some sleep, okay Lu-chan?" Lucy nodded and closed her eyes.

Levy walked to the door and opened it. On an impulse she turned back.

"I think . . . I think the two of you will get along. I think it's going to be okay." Lucy nodded once more and pulled the blanket up over her head.

"Thank you Levy."

And she was gone.

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><p>When she awoke, it was to the noise of a fist knocking on her door. Lucy threw the covers off of her body and sidled out of bed. The door was unlocked from when Levy had left earlier, so Lucy sat down in a very uncomfortable chair and called them in.<p>

Her father, the Captain, one rune mage, and the Dragon (who was still caged), entered her room. The Dragon was clothed in a black and orange trimmed vest and loose fitting white pants. A black waistcoat was belted around him. His wounds had been cleaned, but only the worse looking ones had been wrapped. The gaping hole in his wing had been washed, but nothing had been done to help it heal. It had simply stopped bleeding. Nothing else was required.

Her father walked right past her and opened the balcony doors. It was only then that Lucy noticed the storm that was going on. It was poring rain outside and she could see the trees whipping back and forth with the wind. She hoped the stable boys had not gone swimming.

"I have decided that runes will not be put in place." It was all her father said. The size of the cage was adjusted to allow it through the doorway. The boy grimaced, but did not cry out like he had before. He was still unconscious. The cage was floated to the balcony and then dissolved. The two royals watched as his right ankle was strapped into the chain and locked. It was still raining heavily, but the small overhang kept him somewhat dry. The boy shivered and curled up in his sleep.

Lucy wondered how dry the blankets he was laying on were.

The rune mage, who had the key, held it out to the King. It looked like a skeleton key and was tied to a silver chain.

"Your majesty." The mage bowed as he handed it off. He took it and turned to his daughter.

"In the morning I will send this guard to come and unfasten the Dragon from his chain." Lucy looked to the doorway to find a guard stationed outside. "He will stay here overnight to ensure that nothing happens to you. Your door will remain unlocked so he can get in if needed. In time, if the Dragon proves he is capable and obedient, I will give you the key. However, that does not mean he will ever be allowed to spend the night unchained. Am I clear?" Lucy nodded, but kept her eyes on the Dragon. He continued on.

"Do you feel safe with this arrangement?" She nodded. "And you understand how to control him?" Lucy repeated the Captain's explanation of the spell and her father nodded. He gestured to the Captain and the mage. The Captain bowed and took his leave. The King stepped out of the room and waited for the mage to follow.

But the mage, the same blue-eyed one who had performed the spell and covered for her, came forward to the princess. He dropped to his knees and grasped one of her hands with both of his, just like the Captain had done earlier on.

"I hope you will find this present suitable, Princess." He kissed her hand and curled her fingers into her palm.

"Thank you." Lucy whispered and smiled at him. He smiled back, nodded, and left.

The door was shut quietly behind them. Lucy listened to their footsteps fade away. She let out a shuddering breath and stood up, listening.

She heard nothing.

_A key. He gave me a copy of the key. He could get KILLED for doing this for me. _

Lucy opened her palm and stared at the item. It was an exact replica of the one he had handed to her father.

_The Dragon_. Lucy treaded swiftly through the balcony doors and dropped to her knees beside the huddled Dragon. His eyes were still closed.

Her fingers, shaking, fumbled the key into the lock and swiveled it. With a pop, the lock opened. She pulled the shackle off of his leg and leaned over him to drag him back into the room and met eyes, dark and angry.

A gasp was all she could emit when her eyes met his. They were a dark green in color, slanted in his anger. There was no longer any boyish look on his face. In fact, Lucy wasn't sure if she could even call him a boy anymore.

His gaze was sharp and calculated. His canine teeth, which were bared at her, had an animalistic point to them. His jaw and cheekbones were defined – clearly puberty had worked in his favor.

The pink hair on his head flopped over his eyes and he swished his head to get them out of the way. His eyes never left Lucy. Lucy leaned away from him and into the rain, suddenly afraid of this gaze. He moved with her.

He rolled onto his feet, crouched, and his forearms came forward to rest on his knees. The once seemingly small wings that had been crumpled up in the cage of runes extended out at least fifteen feet to either side.

And then he stopped. And the angry look on his face sort of just . . . left. He stared at her, face totally blank, and then looked down at himself.

He noticed the sawed off talons on his hands and feet first. His hands came together and he fingered the each claw on his hands. No expression crossed his face.

Then he looked at his arms and the gashes and cuts there. He only briefly glanced at them then moved on to the clothes he was wearing. His hands groped at the shirt and pants and sent them a disgusted look. He wiggled around uncomfortably, but settled down anyway with his legs crossed. He poked at the belt for a moment and drew a long scratch across the buckle with his talon.

Clearly he had never been forced to wear clothes before.

He reached up to touch his hair then his horns and seemed pleased to find that they were still in tact. It was only at that moment that Lucy realized nothing had been done to his horns, not even file them like the talons.

And so he moved on to his wings. And that was where the horrified look appeared. He grabbed at his left wing, the one with the gaping hole in it and stared. His mouth had fallen open in shock, his eyes wide not with anger, but with terror. His hand trailed around the hole. The boy (_man_, Lucy corrected herself) jumped to his feet and ran farther out onto the balcony in the poring rain. He threw the vest to the ground where it landed in a puddle and immediately sucked in the water.

His wings spread out, and again Lucy had to admire the sheer size and power he had. In a flash the left wing came down, and Lucy could see the air go straight through the wing.

He did it again.

And again.

And again.

And got nothing at all. His right wing came down, and this time he propelled himself up and to the left. Then he tried both.

And was sent completely off balance.

Lucy let out a sob and that was when she realized she was crying. The Dragon turned to face her. His own sorrow was more than apparent. He dropped to his knees and lay his wings down on the brick of the castle balcony. His head lifted to the rain and he stared off at nothing.

Lucy could see rivers of water run down his face. She knew it wasn't all rain.

"_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry_ . . ." She trailed off, cupping her hand over her mouth, and looked away from him.

The rain continued to come down. She stood, refusing to look at him. If he wanted to leave right then and there, jump off the balcony and run for the woods, she would not stop him. How could she expect him to stay, to be even somewhat content with his life, after she had seen that anger, that horror and sorrow that he had just expressed.

Lucy grabbed the blankets and dragged them through the balcony doors. She would let them dry inside.

Her dress was covered in a thin layer of dirt (although the palace servants to keep the area clean for her) and was soaked through from when she tried to lean away from him and ended up in the rain.

_"I'm sorry._" She muttered again, "_I'm sorry."_

Lucy collapsed to the ground and leaned back against the wall, holding her knees to her chest. Tears rolled down her cheeks and were absorbed by the dress. Her shoulders began to shake, and sobs rose out of her throat.

_He'll never be who he once was . . . _

It felt like years had gone by before she felt something warm touch her knee. Lucy jerked her head up and came eye to eye with the Dragon. He still looked unbelievably sad. His other hand came forward and rested against her other knee. Lucy knew this would be considered highly inappropriate between two unmarried people, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

_"I'm sorry."_ She said once more, hoping he understood. His brows knit together.

Lucy looked away from him and closed her eyes as more tears forced their way out of her eyes. She bit her lip to avoid sobbing so openly in front of him.

She could feel him lean forward as well as the gentle nudge he gave the top of her head with his forehead. She didn't move.

"You shouldn't be nice to me. They took you from your home and gave you to me like you were a_ present_, like you aren't a _living thing_. And now you're stuck here, but I couldn't let you go to the laboratory, I couldn't_, I couldn't_ . . ." she rambled. The Dragon nudged her again, most insistent this time. He shifted his body so his knees were on either side of her feet and her knees were pressed up against his bare chest.

Lucy shook her head.

"Go, go, you won't be safe here, they hate you just like they hate me . . ." The sobs came stronger now. The Dragon's hands moved from her knees to wrap tightly around her shoulders. It forced her head up and onto his right shoulder. Lucy opened her eyes to see his wings coming forward to wrap around her as well.

He was dry. And warm.

Lucy, distressed, brought her hand up to his bicep. She held onto him tightly and cried.

Outside the rain fell. But inside, two people found comfort.


	4. Wake up Call

Waking up found Lucy in the most horrific, compromising, embarrassing situation she had ever been in.

Not that it wasn't comfortable, no, as matter of fact it was quite warm, and she had never felt so safe before, but screaming really sounded like a good idea at the moment.

And then she remembered there was a guard standing right outside of her bedroom door. This was only remembered when she heard the knock and the "Princess Lucy? It's time for you to wake up." come from outside.

_"Shit!"_ She whispered-shouted and then called back to the guard. "Um, YES, give me one moment please!" She looked down at the Dragon who was snuggled up to her oh so intimately and promptly flushed all shades of pink and red imaginable.

"_Idiot! Get off of me!"_ She whispered to no avail. The man just seemed to grip even tighter to her body. Lucy kicked a leg (or . . . no, that was definitely her leg) out and grasped his forearm, attempting to physically pull him off of her. She managed to part his arm only a few inches before he snorted in his sleep and rolled over, dragging her with him effortlessly.

_"Eeep!"_ Lucy squeaked, and flushed an even darker red because he had managed to drag her into an even more awkward position.

The last thing Lucy remembered from the night before was this man embracing her. He must have picked her up at some point and tucked her (in his arms) into bed. He was comforting her, she realized that now, and selfishly she wondered if he had forgiven her already for what she had done to him. Hell, he probably didn't even know that he was bonded to her in the first place. She would have to break this news to him, and she could only imagine how that would go.

She broke out of her thoughts and focused back on the situation at hand. Literally, at hand; _his_ right hand, to be exact. Because it was cupped firmly around her left breast and showed no sign of letting up any time soon.

He was tightly spooning her from behind, one knee nudged in between her own. His right arm, as Lucy had already noted and was currently freaking out over, was groping her. The other arm had been secured under her head, acting as a pillow (she had plenty of them, why didn't he let her use them!) and then angled to rest on top of his right bicep. He was hugging her from behind in his sleep.

Lucy would have completely forgotten about his tail, wings, horns, and claws if it hadn't been for the fact that they were aiding him in his snuggles. His right wing, the uninjured one, had been draped over their bodies, acting as a blanket for them. Now that Lucy thought about it, she _was_ incredibly warm. She remembered the Captain mentioning he used fire magic. This strong heat he was giving off probably had something to do with it.

The long tail was resting on her hips, curling underneath her body and around it. It was like he had completely enveloped himself around her in his sleep.

"Princess? Is everything alright?"

"YES! DON'T COME IN!" She heard a surprised sound. The guard probably hadn't been expecting her to yell at him. Lucy squirmed, hoping the Dragon would let up. She grabbed for his hand and pulled if off her chest, thanking the heavens when it released and wrapped around her waist instead.

Which didn't make escape any easier, but it sure did help her think clearer.

Okay . . . now what to do. She grabbed at the bedpost and began to drag herself across the bed.

Which ended up dragging him as well.

She tried kicking him in the shin.

And got absolutely no reaction.

"Princess?" Panic coming very close to the surface, Lucy accepted the inevitable, and did what she was hoping she would not have to do. She reached backward towards the Dragon's head, and, because she couldn't actually see his face he was wound round her so tight, sought out his features.

Then jabbed him as hard as she possibly could straight in the eyeball.

The shriek he let out was the most ridiculous noise she had ever heard. A snort of laughter escaped her lips as the Dragon tumbled off the other end of the bed in an attempt to get away from whatever had poked him. He landed on his shoulders, feet straight up in the air and kicking every which direction in an attempt to regain gravity.

At least he let go and didn't drag her with him!

"PRINCESS!" Lucy yelped, suddenly incredibly aware of her own state of dress (the same clothes as last night, but muddy with dried rainwater and dirt) and the very male Dragon that was supposed to be tied up outside.

She heard his fumbling for the door handle, and Lucy knew she only had seconds to act.

"DON'T COME IN I'M NAKED!" Lucy screamed. She hurled herself against the door, dropping the bolt so he couldn't get in and scrambled to throw the bed sheets around her body, covering herself.

"Is the Dragon attacking you?" He asked, not really sure what he would do if it was. It's not like he could leap in and save her if she was stark naked. That would be indecent.

"No no! He's just, um . . ." Lucy looked to the Dragon and found he wasn't where she had left him. Panic once more settled in. "Um, um . . . he . . ." She looked to the balcony and saw a flash of blue and white. "He was attacked by a bird in his sleep, and it woke him up so he made a weird sound!" Lucy finished and then slapped herself. Cause that was plausible!

"I see. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes!" _Idiot_, she mentally added. Who would believe _that_ story?

"Alright." She heard him sigh and move away from the doorway. Lucy placed a hand over her heaving chest and turned around, only to come face to face (yet again!) with the Dragon. Her eyes bulged out, and she slapped a hand over her mouth in order to stifle the scream ready to burst out.

He, the Dastardly Snuggler, just quirked an eyebrow at her fear. She took a minute to once again regulate her respiratory system, then shooed him towards the balcony.

"You need to be tied up for when he comes in!" She whispered. The Dastardly Snuggler just quirked the eyebrow higher, but walked onto the balcony and sat down anyway, pouting. His tail swished back and forth on the ground and his legs splayed to either side. He hunched over and crossed his arms.

Man was he laying it on thick.

And that was when she noticed the totally obvious thing that she had been oblivious to.

On his right shoulder, the one she had touched during the spell, the one that she had _healed_, was a red mark. She couldn't see the whole thing with the way he was sitting, but she could tell that it was the same color as the magic that had enveloped him during the rune mage's spell.

Lucy gasped and knelt down beside him. The man stopped pouting and stared at her, confused. He brought his arm up and around so he could see the mark, and he too just stared at it before an overwhelmingly excited grin shot across his features.

Lucy grasped his elbow and rotated his arm so she could see the whole thing. It was precisely what she thought it was. The scar that had been created yesterday wasn't actually a scar at all. It was the faint outline of the mark that appeared now.

But why hadn't it appeared immediately? Why was there even a mark at all? Was it because she healed him there? But then that would mean that she had inadvertently given him this mark when she touched his shoulder. Did it mean something, or was it just proof that the spell they had been put under yesterday was real?

And most importantly, why didn't she have one?

Lucy looked back down to her own right hand. The faint lines that she had seen yesterday were still there, no more pronounced than they had been. She brought her hand to his shoulder and placed them side-by-side. The outlines were identical.

So why wasn't hers colored?

"W-what?" Lucy stuttered out, suddenly feeling exhausted. Yesterday had tired her out emotionally. She could tell right away that she would have to get used to that drain, because everything could only go downhill from here.

The Dragon stared at the two marks, comparing the two of them.

"Why isn't yours colorful? HAH! It's cause I'm-" Lucy slammed her hand over his mouth more forceful than necessary.

"_You can talk?"_ She whispered angrily, eyes narrowing in fury. _"Why didn't you say anything last night?"_

"Princess? We're loosing time, you have breakfast with the King this morning and then your studies." Lucy gnashed her teeth at the door and screamed her reply back.

"THEN GO GET ME MY HANDMAIDENS." His footsteps disappeared at an inhumane pace down the hallway, hopefully to retrieve her friends. Lucy turned her attention back to the Dragon, who was regarding her unpleasantly. Her hand was smooshing his cheeks together so he couldn't speak, but it was he who voluntarily stuck his tongue out at her. So Lucy squeezed even harder so he couldn't pull his tongue back in.

"What's your name?" She demanded. He glared back at her. She let him go.

He spat at the ground before turning to her to speak.

"That was rude. Maybe I don't want to share my name with you."

"_EXCUSE ME_? I did not _grope_ you as you slept!"

"Well if it wasn't you, than who was it?" Lucy stared at him blankly.

"What?"

"If you weren't the one who groped me, then who was?" He sent her an exasperated look as if to say, "_Jeez, weirdo, what else would I have meant?"_ Lucy's face flamed bright red.

"NO ONE GROPED YOU! _YOU_ WERE THE ONE WHO GROPED _ME_!" She snapped at him. He scratched his chin in thought and leaned back on the ground, propping himself up with his elbows.

"Really? Okay." He yawned then dragged himself farther out into the sunshine. "I'm gonna nap, 'kay?"

"_Uh!_ So uncouth!" Lucy said to herself as she threw her hands in the air. Knowing the guard would be back at any moment with Juvia, Levy, and Cana, Lucy picked up the chain and walked over to him. She grabbed him before he could move, and snapped it around his right ankle.

This certainly got a reaction out of him.

"WHAT THE HELL BITCH!" He shrieked and lunged for the chain. "Did you just shackle me? With _magic-repellant_ chains?" He jerked on the links for several minutes, attempting to break free of them.

"D-did you just . . .?" Did he seriously just call her that? _Her_? _Lucy Heartfilia_? Well, he had the right to say what he thought, and it's not like he's here of his own free will, and she did just chain him to the wall, but . . . wasn't that a little harsh?

Lucy steeled herself, and turned away. She noticed the key she had dropped yesterday and picked it up. She tied it around her neck and tucked it under her dress.

"Whatever. My friends are coming in a minute. The guard probably won't unchain you until he sees you're not going to hurt anyone, which could last any amount of time. If you ever want to get out of here, you'll listen to me. Why don't you just chill for now?" Lucy strutted away from the stunned Dragon and slammed the balcony doors shut.

She walked to her extensive closet and pulled out a cherry red dress, one with a simple lace border and three-quarter sleeves. She placed it on the bed. _The one you woke up in cuddling a Dragon, _her mind helpfully reminded her.

Every time she thought about it, it made her heartbeat quicken and her face blush. But now that she knew what a jerk he was . . .

"Lu-chan!" Levy exclaimed and knocked on the door. Lucy unlocked them for her friends to enter, letting two of her three best friends to come tumbling in.

"Hi Levy! Hi Juvia! Wait, where's Cana?" Lucy peered out into the hallway.

"She got drunk last night. No one really knows where she went. Apparently Gildarts went out to look for her, but he left this morning, so no one really knows anything. But we gotta get you dressed! You're late for breakfast with the King!" Lucy nodded to Levy's explanation and allowed her to usher her into the bathroom. Juvia had already disappeared inside to get a bath going.

They closed the door and stripped the princess, forcing her into the water and scrubbing her extensively with scented bath products and sponges. They did not comment on the new jewelry that Lucy chose to wear around her neck.

They finished as quickly as they could, dried her off to the best of their ability, and handed her undergarments. Lucy dressed as fast as she could then stepped out of the bathroom. She stepped up to the mirror where Levy and Juvia immediately began to wrap her in fine cloth. They tied the corset on, trying not to strangle her like always, but just like always, failed. Lucy let out a wheeze at the final stitch, but straightened up anyway. Slouching did not make breathing any easier.

They finally, _finally_, threw the last part of the dress on, the part with the cherry red skirt and bodice. They tied the parts of the dress that needed to be tied and then pushed Lucy into a chair to do her hair and makeup.

"I wish that someday I wouldn't have to get so dressed up in these clothes, just so I could go to breakfast." Lucy mumbled as she screwed up her face for the various types of makeup Juvia was doing. That part was over quickly, and then they both went to tackle her hair.

"How should we do this today, Lu-chan?" Lucy sighed.

"Something simple."

"You say that everyday, Lucy-san." Levy tittered at that, and handed Juvia a comb. Together the two brushed her hair out and then tilted her head back. They piled all her hair up in a bun then strategically pulled out small pieces to frame her face. The hairstyle was similar to the one she wore the day before.

Lucy ignored the hands on her head in favor of thinking about the Dragon. She still didn't know what his name was. She peered out of the corner of her eye and noticed he was pressed up as closely as he could get to the balcony doors. He had his head ducked to the ground, and it looked like he was wiping his face. The chain only allowed him to get so close to her room, so he was lying down on his stomach propped up on his elbows to see into the room. His tail whipped back and forth for absolutely no reason.

When he brought his head back up to look at her, Lucy noticed the smeared blood on his upper lip and the light dusting of a blush on his cheeks.

"All done Lu-chan!" Lucy didn't even look in the mirror.

"Oh . . ." She said and her face went bright red. She jumped out of her seat and marched towards the Dragon, who leaped away from the balcony doors as she came closer. The doors were flung open and Lucy grabbed the chain, dragging him back towards her.

"WHY WOULD YOU LOOK?" She shrieked at him.

"Oh hey Lucy-"

"DON'T YOU 'HEY LUCY ME'! THIS IS MY BEDROOM, AND YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE IT HAS GLASS WINDOWS! SO WHY WOULD YOU CRAWL THAT CLOSE TO SEE INSIDE? YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD SEE!" Lucy's face was a brilliant shade of red, steam flowing steadily out of her ears.

_He saw me in my underwear, he saw me in my underwear_ . . . Lucy slapped her cheeks, trying to forget what just happened. _He's going to be the death of me._

Lucy looked to the Dragon for some sort of apology, but got nothing. He was staring at her stomach and chest, eyes scanning her body with a frown. Lucy didn't like it at all.

Lucy stomped towards him and kicked him as hard as she possibly could in the stomach. He let out a sort of belching sound that made her wrinkle her nose and turn away, disgusted.

"Guard!" There was no answer. She looked to her friends, who shrugged.

"I guess he got in trouble for leaving his post. I got the key from him though so the Dragon can escort you to breakfast." Lucy frowned, but nodded, knowing it had been under her orders for him to leave. Levy fished in her pocket and pulled out the key. She eyed it for a moment, then looked to the necklace tucked into Lucy's dress.

"Is it the same key?" Lucy nodded and fingered her copy.

"Please don't tell anyone. I'll tell you everything later, when we have time." Levy regarded her friend, searching for something. She seemed to find what she wanted, and she nodded to the princess.

"Okay, Lu-chan." Before Lucy could thank her, Juvia spoke up.

"Juvia thinks that was a little harsh, Lucy-san." She pointed to the groveling man and Lucy fumed.

"He practically saw me naked!" The two girls exchanged glances.

"You think he really noticed Lu-chan? I mean he's not even the same species as us." Lucy took a deep breath and let it out, attempting to calm herself.

"You're right, Levy-chan. I'll apologize to him later, but only once he apologizes to me first!"

"Lucy-san . . ." Juvia looked at Levy for help and didn't get any. "You do realize he can't speak to us, right?" Lucy blanched.

"Of course he can, you just heard him. And I was talking to him before you came in as well."

"Ah, you mean _you_ were talking to _him_? It was a one-sided conversation?"

"No, he was speaking back to me." Levy wrung her hands.

"He didn't say anything to you Lucy. He made some sort of garbled noise, but he didn't speak our language." Lucy stared at her.

"What?"

Levy walked over to the balcony and flung the doors open.

"Hi there! My name is Levy, what's yours?" The Dragon stared at her, still holding his stomach. He turned to Lucy.

"What the hell did she just say?" He asked her, not seeming to understand that Lucy was mad at him. First, she wakes up to him groping her. Then he decides to call her a bitch. Then he stares at her, practically naked, and has the utter gall to act as though nothing was wrong! Lucy crossed her arms.

"Why don't you listen to her and find out?" She hissed.

"I did! It didn't make any sense!" He shouted back.

"We're all speaking the same language! She's speaking English, I'm speaking English, and you're speaking English! How is Levy not making sense?"

"What? No! You're speaking Draconian, and so am I! I don't know what the hell she just said, maybe that's your 'English'." He put quotations in the air around the word English. Lucy snarled at him.

"How could you think I'm speaking 'Draconian'," she put quotations around the word as well, "when I've never even heard of it?" The Dragon blinked at this statement.

Levy blinked as well.

"Well, I think that clears things up. This must have been part of the spell. Since he has to do your biding, but doesn't speak our language, then the two of you must have been bonded together so you would understand what the other is saying. That doesn't seem to carry on to anyone who isn't part of the bond though. Cause he's clearly talking gibberish. It's not even a language Lu-chan." Lucy threw her hands up in the air.

"Alright, alright, I give up! I have somewhere to be." And she stomped off out of the room.

The Dragon blinked.

"Can anyone tell me what just happened?" Levy and Juvia just stared at him blankly before unlocking his chain. She simply pointed after the princess, and the Dragon took off.

"Gobbledygook."

* * *

><p><strong>I think you can all guess what the patterns on Natsu's shoulder and Lucy's hand are now, hmm? But what do they do? ^.^ You'll have to be patient!<strong>


	5. Forgiveness

**Sorry for taking so long to get this updated. As always, editing has to be done, and the interconnections of these chapters have to be perfect. And I have to set up later chapters, especially for when the plot begins to thicken, so this story is taking a while. Do enjoy, and do review! **

**-Elament79**

* * *

><p>"Lucy! Lucy, wait for me!" He stumbled out of the room after her, awkward in his new clothes and favoring the less injured leg. Lucy ignored his calls as she strode purposefully away from him.<p>

The Dragon suddenly yelped and Lucy turned back just in time to see his wing smash into a statue, knocking it to the ground where he then tripped over it. As he was falling, his other wing sliced straight through the painting on the opposite side of the wall and knocked the frame to the ground. He landed with a loud _THUD_ and cried out. One of the gashes on his arm reopened and began to bleed.

Lucy's mouth fell open and her eyes widened in horror. She stared at the rip in the painting_. Did . . . did that really just happen?_ She bit her lip and clenched the fabric of her dress in her hands. _Yes . . . yes it did._

_Lucy was seven years old. She was out walking with her mother, hand-in-hand, in the countryside. The spring chill was still going strong, but it wasn't cold enough to freeze the river. The old knight was walking beside them, his grandson off doing whatever it was he was doing. Even though it was probably too cold for them, Lucy had demanded they go turtle searching that afternoon, and who was her mother to say no? The more time outside, the better, according to the Queen. She let Lucy run to the edge of the river, where she and the knight sat and watched the water. _

There was a painter who lived across the water from where the two royals were walking and several months later he presented a painting of the three of them to the Queen as a birthday gift. In the painting, Lucy's mother was standing behind the two, arms out and smiling up at the warm sun. She looked like an angel standing behind her daughter. When her mother died, Lucy hung the painting up outside of her room. Everyday when she walked out of her room she would see it and remember. It was of the most peaceful memories of her mother and the knight, who was also gone now. Not dead, just . . . gone.

And now, yet another memory of them had been destroyed.

The Dragon pushed himself back onto his knees and wiped off his chest. He glanced to the reopened gash on his arm and started licking it. Lucy would have marveled at how improper that was if she wasn't so upset. Finally he stopped licking himself and stood to look over the mess he had made.

"Um . . . whoops?" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Levy and Juvia were in the hallway now, stunned. They both knew of the importance of the painting to Lucy. "Sorry, Lucy, I didn't mean to do that."

The Dragon stood and dusted himself off, glancing at his wings to make sure they weren't hurt. When he was done he smiled at the girl, but then frowned at her pale face.

"You okay?" A choked sob echoed in the hallway. Lucy pressed a hand against her mouth, shaking.

"How could you?" She whispered, bangs covering her eyes.

"What?" The Dragon reeled backwards at her question.

"That was a painting of my _mom_. A painting of my mom who is _dead._" The Dragon winced and his tail and wings drooped.

"O-oh." He looked to the painting and reached to try and fix it.

"DON'T TOUCH IT." Lucy snapped. He jumped away from the painting like it had burned him and waited. Lucy wiped away the faint tears from under her eyes then turned to her friends, trying to present herself professionally through her turmoil. Faintly, she whispered, "Could one of you find someone to fix the painting? If they can repair it, I'll pay them whatever they want. But if they can't . . . can you just send it to my room?"

"Of course, Lucy-san." Juvia replied. Together the two girls picked it up and began down the hall with it. "Juvia and Levy-san will help escort you to breakfast." Lucy nodded and started off after them.

The Dragon watched them go. He looked to the wall where the painting used to sit, eyes guilty and heart heavy, then turned back to his people.

He picked up the statue and righted it, then followed after them.

* * *

><p>Breakfast was tense.<p>

Lucy was seated directly across the table from her father, who was sitting at the opposite end of the room. He was regarding the Dragon, who had been forced to stand far behind Lucy against the wall. The servants were eating in the other room, unseen by the royals, but the Dragon had been kicked out when he nearly demolished the table in an attempt to get to the food. And this was only the first offense. The servants had tried to bring him something to eat at the King's command, but were scared out of their wits. Every time someone got near him he would puff out his chest, bring his wings and tail up and stare them down.

Of course, he only had to do this once before the servants figured to just leave him be, and simply left the plate of food several feet away from him and hightailed it out of the room.

Getting the Dragon over to the corner in the first place had been a catastrophe. First, he had complained loudly to Lucy that there was food on the table and he was hungry, so why not eat the food? Of course she was the only one who understood what he was saying. Everyone else was apparently hearing loud obnoxious noises. The servants had covered their ears, and the King had watched the interaction between the two with a displeased and disappointed look on his face.

Second, the Dragon had _glared_ at the King. Lucy's father had gotten angry quickly at the Dragon for not going to the corner when his daughter had told him to, and had waved one of the servants to go get the rune mage to withhold the Dragon, which had forced Lucy to both try to talk her father out of doing that and try to force the Dragon into the corner at the same time. Needless to say, that had not worked well. It was only when her father got angry with her that the Dragon got angry. But she wasn't quite clear on _why_ he had gotten so mad at her father in the first place!

The third (fourth, technically, but it was the third in the sequence of things that went wrong while attempting to get the Dragon to the corner) offense was when Lucy had finally snapped and screamed at the Dragon to "_GET IN THE CORNER RIGHT THIS INSTANCE OR ELSE I WILL PUNISH YOU, AND I SWEAR YOU WILL NOT LIKE IT!"_ It was not technically the Dragon's fault that she had lost her mind, but Lucy still blamed him anyways. She thought of herself as having very good self-control. Most of the time.

The only good thing that came out of the whole operation was that the Dragon did eventually go to the corner and leave the royal and servant breakfasts alone. By the time Lucy sat down, she was a jumble of nerves. He _had_ to make a good impression on her father. The King would gladly send the Dragon to the laboratory without a second thought if he believed something wasn't working out.

Lucy's hands were shaking. The emotional turmoil of forcing a wild creature under her command (she mentally snorted at this; he didn't seem like the type to submit to anything, magic spell or no magic spell) had been sent into even deeper depths. Add to last night's anxiety the anger and hopelessness of loosing the painting, the embarrassment of waking to being groped, the fear that the Dragon would be sent to the laboratory, and the anger she felt for her father's need for control . . . Lucy was pretty sure she was close to a meltdown. The tight fabric of the corset didn't help either.

She took a shaky breath and peered back at the Dragon. He was sulking in the corner, crumbs stuck to his cheek from his meager breakfast. She turned back to her food, but couldn't bring herself to eat; she was too worried about what her father would say. He had watched Juvia and Levy walk by with the painting, and Lucy had seen his eyes harden into spheres of ice. The King hadn't heard that the Dragon had also knocked down the statue, but Lucy didn't think he would care as much. The guard that had left his post to get Juvia and Levy had also confessed that Lucy had not let him in when he sensed she was in danger. Then there was the whole display before breakfast, where the Dragon hadn't actually listened to her until she demanded he remain stationary. The King could very well interpret that as the spell not working. He wanted an obedient Dragon, not a destructive one.

And the things the King didn't know about, like her getting the key, waking to the Dragon right beside her, him watching her get dressed . . . these secrets only made her more anxious.

Lucy bit her lip and drew blood. Nothing seemed to be going according to plan.

The two monarchs sat in silence, one eating, one staring at her lap.

Finally the King spoke. "You're late for breakfast, Lucy." Lucy flinched inwardly, but schooled her expression to remain passive.

"Yes sir." She said loud enough for him to hear, but not too loud. She heard the Dragon shift around behind her.

"And why is that?" Lucy shuffled in her seat and looked down at her food. What should she say? He would know if she lied. Maybe if she . . .?

"There were . . . complications, this morning. I was unable to dress in my room without a curtain to block the Dragon's sleeping quarters from my own." It was the truth, but not the whole truth. The Dragon_ had_ made "complications", but she had not dressed in the washroom like she was implying.

The King slammed his hands onto the table and violently rose out of his seat. The teacup next to his plate rolled off the table and hit the floor, sending tea and china skittering across the ground.

"_DID HE SEE YOU?"_ The King roared. The Dragon's footsteps slammed against the ground as he came right up behind Lucy's chair. His wings wrapped around the seat and legs of the chair and the tips rested against her ankles. He folded his arms and placed them on the back of the chair. He snorted angrily, but did nothing else. He probably didn't understand why her comment made the King so mad. Lucy reminded herself that he could only understand her. He probably didn't even know who the King was. Lucy took a deep breath and raised her head. It was do or die.

"No sir. I dressed, with the help of my handmaidens, in the washroom. He saw nothing." Lucy stared at her father, expression carefully innocent yet also serious. The King stared back. The Dragon stared at the King. Her lie solved two problems. One was she needed an actual excuse that the King would believe. Lucy refused to tell him about the Dragon seeing her dress, or waking up beside him, or getting the key. He couldn't know about these things. But it also solved the problem of getting dressed without him seeing. The King would be forced to get curtains for her.

Finally her father's eyes left hers to go to the Dragon's. There was a vicious snarl when their eyes connected. Slowly the King sat. He stared at the two for a moment, eyes glancing back and forth.

"Servant!" The King snapped his fingers at someone who dashed to his side. "Curtains must be installed immediately to avoid this problem. I cannot have my only daughter be impure for her wedding night." The Dragon growled when the King spoke and Lucy whispered "_Relax."_ to him. The growling died down.

The King surveyed the two for a moment then spoke back up. "I was initially planning on sending him off to the laboratory this morning when I heard the news of the painting and saw his own barbarism myself." Lucy sucked in a breath and tensed. She felt the Dragon behind her tense as well; she could feel that he was coiled like a spring. The King took a sip from the newly deposited cup of tea and wiped his mouth on the napkin. Two women were cleaning up the cracked cup right beside him.

"But I see he is quite quick, protective, and intuitive of you." There was a lengthy pause. The Dragon didn't move a muscle. "And I believe he could yet be a great asset to the kingdom. If he learns his place, his manners, and how to treat the royalty here, he may stay." Lucy, feeling boneless, leaned back against her seat and took a deep breath. The Dragon peered over the seat at her. "But! If he proves to be able to learn nothing, he goes." Lucy nodded. The Dragon would need to learn how to treat the King – and quick!

"Go back to the wall." She said quietly and he un-enveloped himself from her chair and walked backwards to the wall. Lucy stood from her seat and acknowledged her father. "Thank you, sir. May I go to my studies?" He nodded and gestured to a guard.

"Bring a guard with you." The guard stepped forward rather hesitantly and walked beside the princess as they exited the room. The Dragon followed closely behind them.

Lucy did not see him spare the King a warning glance.

* * *

><p>At the end of the day, exhausted by the constant vigilance of the Dragon, Lucy collapsed on her bed. A different guard (they were everywhere) walked in with the Dragon and strapped him, after much yelling and growling, to the chain. He left the room with several scratches across his breastplate and closed the door behind himself on the way out.<p>

Lucy wondered what it would be like to live in a normal monarchy.

She waited a moment before getting sick of the man's whines to let him out. Rolling off the bed in a very un-lady-like matter, she noticed there were thick curtains on the glass doors now. The balcony doors were thrown open and Lucy knelt beside him. She pulled her key off her collarbone and unlocked him.

"What's your name? I'm tired of calling you 'The Dragon'." Lucy asked and draped the key around her neck once more. He hesitated and scratched the back of his head. "You do have one, right?"

"Well . . . I guess?"

"What is it?" He hesitated again, but gave in.

"Natsu."

"Natsu?"

"Oh, you can pronounce it?"

"Its just Natsu."

"Yeah, but you say all of you people are speaking English, yet I hear Draconian from you and something weird from all the others. So I didn't know what a name in Draconian would sound like in English." He smiled then stood and darted inside.

"Where – no. No. You are not sleeping on my bed again." Lucy whispered angrily. She was still mad at him about how he had acted that morning. His behavior in her lessons was better, but the man could not sit still to save his life. All of her teachers had thrown a fit at some point.

Natsu groaned.

"But Luce!"

"SHH! There's a guard right outside." Lucy flopped onto the chair before her desk and fingered the tucked jewelry. The two were quiet, listening to the sounds of the wind in the trees.

"So . . . I was wondering." Lucy glared at the man across the room. "Did . . . did they manage to fix the painting?" Lucy's gaze fell. She was silent for a moment, thinking about it.

"I don't think they will. Levy asked the royal painter, and he said to just give up on it. Juvia went to get the back of it taped so at least it won't flap around. She said she would bring it by later."

"I'm really, really, really sorry Lucy." Lucy smiled bitter-sweetly at him.

"It's okay."

"It's not! I ruined something that reminds you of someone you care about! And it can't be fixed! And I peeped on you, and called you a bitch, and totally screwed up in front of that guy at breakfast and he yelled at you! I've made you cry, and I've made you embarrassed and mad and upset and I'm ruining your life, but I'm not trying to. And I don't want to do that to you, 'cause I like you and I don't want to hurt you. But I probably will, Luce . . . I am a Dragon, after all."

He sounded so broken that Lucy's eyes began to water. He knew what he had done after all, huh? She leaned her forehead into her palm. He was a Dragon. He was made to fight and fly and be free . . . and the castle had robbed him of all three the moment they captured him. But Natsu had forgiven her. He'd never stated this outright, but Lucy would never forget the devastation he had shown the night before. Maybe he hadn't forgiven the people who had captured him, but he had forgiven her for her part in it. He said he "liked" her, which was the closest she was probably going to get to forgiveness from him. He was apologetic about his wrongs, things that he shouldn't have had to do in the first place; he belonged in the wild. And if Natsu could find it in himself to forgive her of keeping him tied down in the castle as a servant, then she could find it within herself to forgive him for the emotional roller coaster he had put her through.

A tear dripped down her cheek. _Everything would be okay._

Natsu sniffed the air and sent her a panicked look.

"No, no, no, no, no, don't cry!" He flew off the bed and squatted in front of her. He rested the tip of his tail against her foot while his hands hovered over her face, not sure if he was allowed to touch her or not and also afraid his claws would hurt her.

Lucy smiled at him gently. "It's okay, Natsu. I'm okay."

"But you're crying!"

"Because no one understands anymore." She looked up into his eyes and smiled. Natsu leaned away from her, stunned at the beauty that was her smile. "No one understands how to care about another. No one understands sentimentality. No one understands forgiveness, humility, pride or pain. And yet somehow . . . you do. I don't know how you knew what to say, or what to do. I don't know how you knew how to comfort me, and I don't know how you've managed to forgive me for what I've done to you. I don't understand. But I can understand that you _did_. And I can learn to do the same." Natsu's mouth fell open at her words. "My father - he's the King - and all the other nobles . . . they don't understand why you don't know how to act in the castle. They know how to. That's all they've ever known. But they don't know how to forgive, be humble about the right things, or feel empathy. They think their actions, their wealth, are more important than the feelings and trials that make us really human. And you, Natsu . . ." She stroked his cheek, not caring how wrong it was for her to touch a man like that, "you're more human than them because you _understand_ what it is that makes someone good." Natsu stared at the woman before him in awe. Just stared. Lucy wrinkled her brow and pulled away from him.

"Sorry . . . did that not make any sense? Or did I offend you by calling you human? _Ack!_ I'm sorry Natsu, I didn't mean to-"

"Of course I forgave you." Lucy froze at the whispered words.

"What?" He licked his lips in embarrassment and his cheeks had a faint pink dust to them.

"I said of course I forgave you." He looked at the ground and fiddled with his hands. "You didn't actually do anything to me."

"But I'm the princess, and it's my dad who call-"

"Yeah, but did you ever want me here?" Lucy tugged on a strand of her hair.

"W-well, no, but now I'm afraid to let you go. He wants to send you to the laboratory, a place where some mages do really illegal and painful and gross stuff. And I don't want you to go there."

"Then I can definitely forgive you." Lucy frowned.

"How-"

"Just shut up." Lucy puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. Natsu laughed at her lightly. The two sat together in silence for a while, just reflecting. The sun began to go down, casting orange and pink shades across the walls of her room.

Lucy heard shuffling and turned to see her Dragon pull off the vest. He had shed the article of clothing multiple times that day, saying he didn't like the feeling of it. Only once had he tried to get rid of the pants and overcoat, but the guards and Lucy had had a fit. Lucy wondered if it was weird that she already seemed used to seeing him shirtless.

"You're not supposed to take your clothes off in front of a lady."

"And where's the lady?" He cheekily replied.

"Har har. Seriously. Put your clothes back on." He grumbled out something but pulled the vest back over his shoulder blades. Lucy looked at where the wings protruded from his back. It was a wonder that he didn't seem to be in pain from dragging those extra pounds around all day. Natsu scanned her right back.

She looked to the hole in his wing. It wasn't going to heal over, she could already tell. But the hope was still there. She slid out of her seat and walked to the bathroom, bringing out bandages and a bowl of warm water.

"Why don't you sit on the bed?" Natsu dragged himself off the floor and onto the mattress and stretched out, leaving his wings to fall off either side of the Queen sized mattress. His tail looped around one of his legs. Lucy began to unwrap the measly bandages on his body. Natsu allowed her to.

She used the washcloth to wipe away the dirt and blood that had accumulated under the bandages from the multiple quick fights he had with guards during the day. They must have used a magical healer to make sure none of cuts were infected (because some of them were when she first saw him) and that he wasn't sick. But they had done a poor job of wrapping the wounds.

Lucy rewrapped the worst of them then moved on to his wing. She stared at it for a moment and Natsu sat up.

"It's not going to heal over."

"It might, it's possible-"

"It won't. I've seen this happen to other Dragons before. They never heal." Lucy looked to his face. The sadness and fear from the night before was there once again. It made her feel even more insecure.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You weren't the one who did it."

"But my people did."

"No, your dad did. Those stupid guards did." Silence.

"Why was he so mad at you?"

"Who?"

"Your dad."

"Because he loved my mom." That didn't really explain it, but Lucy hoped it would suffice. More silence. Then- "We'll fix your wing."

"How?"

"Don't know. But that's not gonna stop me from trying." She smiled at him.

"You're not really all that princess-y, ya know that?"

"Shush. It's not all it's cracked up to be." Natsu nodded like he understood.

"Can we go outside tomorrow?"

"I'll ask my father."

"Okay. Do you have to ask him about everything?"

"Most of the time, yeah." Lucy watched him for a moment. Then she stood and brought the medical supplies back to the washroom. She came back out and sat in her chair by the desk. She spun ideas around her mind. Finally, she spoke out something she'd been thinking about all day.

"Can we . . . can we not let them know that we can talk to each other? It can be our secret. I'm not allowed to talk to other people in ceremonies or stupid events, so it get's really . . . boring. But if we can talk to each other and no one knows we're communicating . . ."

"Whatever you want, Luce. It's not like I can tell them you can understand me." Lucy chuckled. They began to listen to the night birds. Natsu claimed he could hear the townspeople, but Lucy told him she thought that was complete hogwash.

What she did hear were the soft footsteps in the hallway. She turned to Natsu, but he was already rolling off the other side of the bed to hide in case someone walked in.

There was a soft knock on the door and Lucy called to come in. Levy opened the door and allowed Juvia in before shutting the door tight behind her.

"Juvia tried to fix the painting. We taped the back, but you can still tell it's torn." Juvia placed the small painting on the desk Lucy was still sitting at.

"Thank you. It means the world to me."

"We know, Lucy." There was a pause as the girls reflected on their own memories of the Queen.

"Lucy-san? Where is the Dragon?" Lucy nodded to the side of the bed. Natsu peeked his head out and crawled onto the covers, surveying his company.

"His name is Natsu." She told them. They both nodded.

"They found someone to work with him." Levy spoke up. Lucy grasped her friend's hand at this statement.

"Who?"

"It's a man, of course. He's been in battle, and is a well known, strong, and respected fighter."

"What's his name?"

"Erza Scarlet."

* * *

><p>After Levy and Juvia had left Natsu had pulled all the blankets, pillows, sheets and anything else he could find that was some sort of cloth (she made him put back one of her dresses) and threw them onto the bed. He collapsed on top of the mountain of stuff and sighed. Then he began to burrow. So as not to rip the cloth with his talons, he curled his hands up into fists and began to smooth out of the blankets. He pushed the pillows to either end of the bed, stacking them up far too high. He grabbed three sheets and fluffed them up in the center of the bed.<p>

He paused and looked to Lucy, who was sitting at her desk across the room. She was watching him from her desk with a notebook in front of her. The painting was now hanging on a hook directly in front of her desk.

Natsu frowned.

"Are you going to wear that to bed?" He gestured to the cherry red dress she was still wearing. She'd forgotten to ask Juvia and Levy to help her out of it. Some dresses she could get out of herself, and some she couldn't. She hoped she could get out of this one herself.

"No. I just haven't changed." Natsu nodded, then went back to his work. Lucy watched as he grabbed a thick blanket and shoved it up against the pillows at the headboard.

"What are you doing Natsu?" He sent her a glance then rocked back on his heels on the bed.

"Making the bed. Duh. I didn't get to do it last night cause you were so worked up, so I'm doing it tonight."

"The bed was made both times. You just tore the thing apart."

"What? No. Last night was nowhere near comfortable, but I couldn't just leave you. Trust me. It'll be more comfortable tonight." He grinned, but didn't look at her and continued on his mission. He shoved a small piece of cloth (Lucy recognized it as a hand towel) into a crook between two pillows.

"Alright fine. Do what you want." Natsu nodded absently. Lucy turned back to her writing and ignored his shuffling. She had only written about three paragraphs when she heard something weird.

"What are you doing, Natsu?"

"I don't like the position of this bed."

"What do you mean?"

"It's too open. If someone came in from the balcony, they would see the bed immediately. If someone walked in from the hallway, they would see the bed immediately. I want to move it."

"You can't move it, it's too heav-"

"There!" He crooned and Lucy turned around. He had moved the bed to the other side of the room. Before, her bed had been next to the door leading to the hallway. If someone were to open the door, all they would have to do to find the bed was turn their head to the right. Because the door was indented into her room, they would be right next to her torso instead of her head. Natsu had moved the bed across the room to nestle it into the corner against the side of the small, only dresses-for-the-week wardrobe. The end of the bed was pressed up against a wall of the bathroom. If someone walked into the room from the hallway and then turned to the left, they would see the front doors to the wardrobe. If they looked past that, only then would they see the end portion of the bed as it was now. From the balcony doors, you could see the wardrobe and the door to the bathroom, but not the bed itself. To see that, you would have to walk farther into the room. Natsu had somehow managed to nestle the bed into that space. It did look more hidden than where it had been before.

Lucy's mouth fell open. "How did you move that by yourself?"

"I'm strong!" He exclaimed and joyfully bounced onto the bed. His tail whipped back and forth rapidly as he finished arranging the blankets around him. His injured wing rested atop the pillows, but that was all she could see of the man from where she sat across the room. She snapped out of her stupor and rubbed her eyes. Lucy picked up the notebook and placed it in her desk.

"I'm going to change."

"Okay." Lucy walked out of the room and into the washroom. She began to untie the ribbons and strings that hooked the top layer onto the dress. She managed to pull it off and lay in on a chair. She unpinned her hair next, leaving the pins and other things that were stuck in it on the counter of the marble sink. She turned around to look at the laces of the corset.

"Oh . . ." She had great difficulty with corsets. Levy, Juvia, and Cana had always been there to help her or do it for her. It was too late at night to call the girls back to help her, and she didn't want to wake them up. They needed their rest more than she did.

"Um . . . Natsu?" It was worth a shot.

"Whaaa?" He called back. Probably still working on the bed.

"Can you help me?" Lucy's face flushed red. _It's not like he hasn't seen you in less, he saw you in your undergarments this morning, Lucy. _

"With whaaa?" She heard the blankets shift around and footsteps trotted up to the washroom door. She opened it for him and turned her back to him. God this was so embarrassing!

"Can you untie it?" He didn't move.

"What is it? I saw the other people-"

"Juvia and Levy."

"-put this thing on you this morning. It doesn't look very comfortable."

"It's a corset. It's supposed to make a woman look like she has more curves than she actually does. The more curvy, the more likely she is to get married to a wealthy family."

"What the hell? But it made you gasp and turned your face red! Can you even breathe in the thing?" Natsu fingered one of the straps on the corset and Lucy swatted his hand away.

"Um . . . kind of."

"It's stupid. Why should it matter what a woman looks like under the dress? If you like someone you like someone. Their shape shouldn't have so much to do with it." Now that she thought about it, corsets really were stupid. Just another thing to control people.

"C-can you just . . . take it off?"

"Yeah. How?"

"Just undo the strings." Natsu used his claws to unhook the little pieces of leather and let them part. Lucy sucked in a lungful of air and swayed in her spot.

"Whoa! You okay?" He grasped her arms and held her upright.

"Y-yeah, I'm good."

"Sheesh." He finished unhooking the corset and tugged it up and off her body. Lucy moaned.

"What?"

"It feels so much better." All shame exited her system. Lucy brought her arms over her head and stretched. She bent from side to side, cracking her back and neck.

"I'll be on the bed." Lucy nodded and Natsu left the room, closing the door.

Lucy shimmied out of the last pieces of the dress and draped it over the chair as well. She grabbed the nightgown and pulled it over her body. It felt so much better to not be strapped into her clothes. She braided her hair to the side and then stepped out to go to bed.

Natsu was underneath the covers, completely hidden by the blankets. An eye peaked out and squinted at her.

"Get off."

"But I want to sleep with you." Lucy's face flamed bright red and she swatted her cheek.

"You can't sleep in the same bed as me."

"But I made the bed!"

"You destroyed the bed."

"You let me!" She faltered at that. She had.

"Why don't you bring some of the blankets and pillows somewhere else where you can sleep? I'm not sleeping on the ground, and you're not sleeping with me." Natsu pouted and grabbed one blanket from his pile. He shoved it off the bed where it landed on the floor, then grabbed two of the pillows and pushed them off as well.

He slid himself onto the floor and curled himself around the stuff. He stared at his person when he was done.

"That's all? You can take more from it."

"No. I made the n- . . . bed. I made the bed for you." Lucy ignored the slip up and glanced to the bed.

"Alright Natsu. Alright." She slid onto the blankets and wrestled herself beneath them. Natsu watched and he adjusted his own position to allow his injured wing to rest on a pillow. He didn't look very comfortable.

Lucy, however, was in heaven.

"How'd you make it so comfortable?" He grinned at her with pride.

"I'm good at making beds!"

"Whatever you say."

"Good. Now go to sleep. I'll watch over you."

"Are you comfortable?"

"Yes." She knew he was lying. "Comfy?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Goodnight, Natsu."

"Night, Lucy."

And they slept.


End file.
